The invention relates to a device for testing vehicle occupant restraint systems for a side impact, with a target carriage which is provided with a structure in which there are mounted a seat for a test dummy, an imitation of the lower region of a vehicle side structure and the side impact restraint system to be tested, with an impact carriage which is provided with a pushing surface associated with the imitation of the lower region of the vehicle side structure, the impact carriage and the target carriage being movable relative to each other such that an impact of the pushing surface and the imitation of the lower region of the vehicle side structure onto each other can be brought about at a predetermined speed.
Such a device, which is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,758, is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6. On the target carriage 10, the structure 12 is mounted in which are arranged the seat 14 for a test dummy 16, the imitation 18 of the lower region of a vehicle side structure and the side impact restraint system 20 to be tested. The impact carriage 22 is provided so as to be movable relative to the target carriage 10, which impact carriage 22 is provided with a pushing surface 24.
By means of this device, the most varied side impact restraint systems for almost all vehicles can be tested. The imitation 18 of the vehicle side structure is constructed such that it corresponds to the type of vehicle of which the test is to be simulated. In addition, the corresponding side impact restraint system 20 is mounted, which is to come into use in this type of vehicle. If then an impact of the pushing surface 24 onto the imitation 18 of the vehicle side structure is brought about at a predetermined speed, the stresses occurring on the test dummy 16 can be detected in a great variety of ways, for example by transducers or by high speed film recordings. Through evaluation of the detected data, conclusions can be drawn as to the effectiveness of the tested side impact restraint system, without a real test having to be carried out with a vehicle for this purpose.
With this known test device, however, only side impact restraint systems can be tested which, when they are used in the vehicle, extend between the upper body of a vehicle occupant and the lower region of the door. It is not possible to test the side impact restraint systems recently being increasingly used, which provide a restraint effect for the head of a vehicle occupant.
The invention provides a test device with which also side impact restraint systems can be tested which make available a restraint effect for the head of a vehicle occupant. This is made possible in a device of the type initially mentioned in that the structure is additionally provided with an imitation of the upper region of a vehicle side structure and that the impact carriage is provided with an upper pushing surface arranged above the lower pushing surface. In this way, through the cooperation of the imitation of the lower and of the upper region of the vehicle side structure, for example a complete door, the associated A, B, C or D column and the associated roof frame can be simulated, and the behavior of a side impact restraint system which protects either exclusively the head of a vehicle occupant or also his upper body can be tested in combination with the imitation of the entire door.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made that the upper pushing surface is adjustable relative to the lower pushing surface. According to the preferred embodiment, provision is also made that the upper pushing surface is able to be exchanged for a further pushing surface with a different height. Owing to this variability of the impact carriage, the most various objects can be simulated with which a side impact can occur, for example motor vehicles of different sizes, trucks, etc.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, in addition a coupling element is provided which connects the imitation of the upper region of the vehicle side structure with the imitation of the lower region of the vehicle side structure. By means of the coupling element, the type of mounting of the imitation of the upper region of the vehicle side structure to the imitation of the lower region of the vehicle side structure can be embodied individually, so that the deformation behavior of the upper region of the vehicle side structure of the most various vehicles can be simulated, i.e. a comparatively flexible structure of the upper door strut and of the roof frame or a comparatively rigid construction.